CVE-2023-21038

Local privilege escalation via haptic-driver use-after-free

Published Mar 24, 2023 · Updated Feb 25, 2025

Use-after-free in the Google Pixel Android kernel allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated execution privileges. The cs40l2x_cp_trigger_queue_show routine in cs40l2x.c accesses a freed object and performs an out-of-bounds write. Exploitation requires local System-level execution, needs no user interaction, and grants elevated execution privileges.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Google Pixel Android kernel allows local users with System privileges to gain elevated execution privileges. The cs40l2x_cp_trigger_queue_show routine in cs40l2x.c accesses a freed object and performs an out-of-bounds write. Exploitation requires local System-level execution, needs no user interaction, and grants elevated execution privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-21038
Published
Mar 24, 2023
Updated
Feb 25, 2025
Vendor
Google
Product
Google Pixel
Classifications
CWE-787, CWE-416, T1404
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 24, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 25, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=Android kernel

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Google · Google Pixelversion=Android kernel

Published CVSS scores

6.7CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.7NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
CWE-416Use After Free
T1404Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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